1952 Champions Cup

The 1951 Champions Cup was the 6th official, and 7th overall Champions Cup game, the deciding game(s) of the NERC season. This installment was played between the Boston Riders and Manhattan Archers. Boston was looking to win their first title since they went back-to-back in 1947 and 1948, while the Archers were looking to win their second straight title.

In a defensive affair, the Riders emerged victorious. The game was instantly seen as a classic.

Opening
Fans flocked to Riverside Field in the Bronx to take in the latest Champions Cup game to date, in late September. Despite the date, the weather was just right for both players and supporters. Not too hot, and not too cold. Around 40% of the stadium consisted of Archers supporters, a third consisted of well-travelled Boston faithful, and the remaining quarter of the Stadium was filled with neutral fans, mostly supporters of the home field Bears. Both teams took the field to a mixture of cheers and boos. After the anthem, it was game time, and it was looking to be a good one.

First Quarter
The Archers won the opening jump-ball, and they took their time forming their first rush. Eventually, they forced their way down to the Boston end and kicked the first score of the game, a point from Uri Mussing. Boston would recoup after, hold the ball for a bit, then they would go down to Manhattan’s end, and kick the game’s first goal, a sneaky dribbling shot from Alban Good. Boston would focus on playing more defensively after, and they did a great job at it. Over the next 10 minutes, the only real chance the Archers’ offense had was a corner kick that was dealt with easily by the Riders defense. Eventually, the Archers intercepted a Boston rush and started a counterattack, which was eventually converted by Chris Stevens. Manhattan had the lead back, and like Boston did after their goal, they sat back for the rest of the quarter, in an attempt to keep the lead to quarter time. The Riders had some good shots, but couldn’t get anything past the Archers’ final line of defense. The quarter drew to a close, and the Archers held a slim 1-point lead. It was looking like the game would be a defensive affair.

Second Quarter
The second quarter started off slow, and Manhattan seemed content on just holding their lead. They would eventually try and get some chances in the Boston end, and kicked a couple more points by the halfway mark to take a 3-point lead. At this point, Boston was getting antsy, as they’d only kicked one singular goal 36 minutes in. They became desperate, as made more mistakes, one of which directly led to a Mark Jansen goal, putting the Archers up 7. Now with under 5 minutes to go in the quarter, the Riders finally got something to go their way, as a Mack Robin shot deflected off a defender’s leg and between the left posts for a point. This gave them a spark, and 2 minutes later, Alban Good blasted a shot for a goal. All of a sudden, the Riders were down by 2. They then took the jump-ball back down the field, but their shot was saved by Stevens and deflected out for a point. It looked like it would be a 1-point game heading to the half, but the Archers managed one last rush before the quarter ended. The ball ended up at the feet of Vern Chamne, who quickly deposited it for a goal. Manhattan kept their multi-possession lead through one half.

Third Quarter
Analysts were convinced the late Archers goal would crush Boston’s confidence, but it was actually the opposite. They came out blazing, getting multiple great rushes and chances. Unfortunately for them though, they only managed a single point out of all their early dominance. There wouldn’t be any further score until the halfway mark, when a shot by Daniel Donk deflected off the post and in for a post. There would then be another defensive stalemate, and the ball was stuck in the midfield for a good chunk of time. Eventually, with 1:22 to play, Eric Moncton drew a penalty shot after he was tackled high in the arc. His shot was absolutely perfect, just out of the reach of Stevens. That shot gave Boston their first lead since the first quarter. However, just like in the second quarter, the Archers would win the ensuing jump-ball, go back down the field, and kick a point before the quarter drew to a close. After 72 minutes of play, the two teams were knotted at 16, the first playoff game in NERC history to remain tied heading into the fourth quarter.

Fourth Quarter
The game’s overall theme of defense persisted to start the fourth quarter. The two teams each managed to get some shots off, but none of them were dangerous enough to score. The score remained tied past the halfway mark of the quarter.The first score of the quarter would be a dribbler by Mack Robin that missed wide left for a point. After that, the pace started to pick up. The Archers got a few more shots, but none could beat Kerry Thuriet and the Boston backline. With 6:17 to play, Boston leading goalscorer Paul Dean, who had been relatively quiet in both playoff games, kicked a huge goal to put Boston up by 5. However, the Archers responded with a goal of their own from Bill Teclich 90 seconds later. It was once again a one-point game, now with 4:47 remaining. Both teams were extremely cautious at this point, as neither wanted to make a game-losing mistake. Boston won the jump-ball, but the Archers quickly recovered. They got a shot away, but Thuriet dealt with it easily. The Riders then regained possession, rushed to Manhattan’s end, and kicked a late point. The won the jump-ball again, and rode out the clock. The final whistle blew, and their faithful erupted. For the third time in 6 years, the Boston Riders had won the Champions Cup.